The Transvaginal Mesh Decade Documentary

Join us as we create this documentary about the decade of transvaginal mesh injuries in Australia.

Prolapse and Stress Incontinence a common problem in women

More than 30% of women have a prolapse or stress incontinence after childbirth. If the fascia or ligaments of the pelvic floor are torn or stretched and if your pelvic floor muscles are weak, then your pelvic organs might not be held in their right place and they may bulge or sag down into the vagina. Transvaginal mesh is a popular choice of treatment by surgeons instead of using native tissue to hold the organs in place. The surgery is quicker and cost effective.

No long term studies yet transvaginal mesh is approved for use in Australia

The Therapeutic Goods Administration, Australia’s peak health regulators approved these mesh devices for women’s prolapse surgery more than a decade ago despite no evidence of their safe use in prolapse cases, and clear warnings of the need for controlled trials on related mesh devices. Women are now suffering severe and debilitating complications from these devices and they have to live with this consequence for the rest of their lives because there are no full removal surgeons in Australia. The complications are managed by repeat surgeries. Complications include but are not limited to – mesh erosion, chronic debilitating pain, infection, bleeding, painful sex, urinary problems, nerve damage, vaginal shrinkage/scarring, tissue necrosis, foreign body reaction, autoimmune disorders, recurrence of prolapse/stress incontinence, disability, sepsis, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, death.

Here’s what we’re doing about it

The media have recently been reporting on this serious issue however, television media are slow to join the discussion. In October/November 2016 two mesh injured women will be travelling in a campervan for one month throughout Queensland, New South Wales, Canberra, Victoria and South Australia to film the real stories of injured women’s lives. They will also be interviewing government health representatives and surgeons who are willing to participate.

And here’s how it’s going to change the way Australia thinks about pelvic mesh

Television media stories usually focus on interviewing one woman and it is written to their own script. This documentary will be raw, thought provoking and shocking to viewers who know nothing about transvaginal mesh and the devastation it is causing our treasured mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, and grandmothers. It will be presented to the Therapeutic Goods Administrations, RANZCOG and the USA’s FDA. There will be another urgent call to suspend transvaginal mesh until safety and efficacy can be proven. The documentary is one more cog in the wheel to getting these devices suspended pending a thorough investigation.

You can join us

The women will need about $5000, which will be spent on one return airfare from Perth to Brisbane, fuel, video equipment and video editing. If you would like to be part of the documentary, please contact caz.chisholm@gmail.com for further information.

And here’s some amazing perks for supporting us that you can’t live without

If you make a donation to this cause, you will be privy to the progress of the documentary as the women travel from state to state. A facebook group will be created with regular updates, pictures and short videos.